It seems that almost every sales rep nowadays can’t do his job anymore without the ‘aid’ of some kind of presentation on his laptop, net-book or tablet PC  And I am not just talking about presentations for a group of decision makers. No, even in one-on-one meetings too many sales reps make use of some kind of presentation software.

It violates almost every ‘rule’ in the book:

• Selling is not telling, selling is listening.
• Every customer has unique needs, wishes and desires. Get those to the surface and act accordingly.
• Specs don’t sell, tailor-made solutions do.
• Build rapport by showing a genuine interest in the customer, not in yourself or your organization.

These ‘rules’ are as old as mankind. And they haven’t changed all of a sudden because of newly available technology.

Most of the presentations I have seen are precooked by the marketing department of the organization. And it proves again and again that marketing people in general have no clue when it comes to sales. It is beyond me that organizations let their marketing department interfere with their sales department in that way. Marketing and sales are two different disciplines; stay out of each other’s play ground!

We have all seen examples of the ‘Corporate Presentation’. Slide after slide about what a great company it is; the growth in annual turnover, the worldwide coverage, all the important customers they have already, their USP’s, the great line of products, etc.

Apparently, the customer is not important anymore. It is all about us; about how great we are, how big we are, how important we are…
In other words: this - new – customer is just there to add to our greatness.
Happy selling…

Every customer wants to feel important, not just one of many, not just a number in his supplier’s automated system. And here comes the sales rep with a presentation that he shows to everybody, regardless of the specific needs, interests and desires of the customer. In the presentation the supplier brags about the numerous offices and plants they have throughout the world and the gazillion customers they service. That will make the prospect with his one mid-sized plant in southern Alberta jump out of his chair of excitement, won’t it? Now he feels very special and important, all of a sudden!

Many sales reps don’t realize that certain pieces of information that are valuable to one customer can backfire when presented to another. One of the most important rules in sales is that you don’t start giving out information before you know if it is of interest for the customer and in what context. Most presentations blatantly violate that rule.

Is every PowerPoint presentation useless?

Certainly not. But there is a time and a place for everything. If you want to (or have to) use presentation software, keep the following tips in mind:

• Know your customer’s needs, interests, wishes and desires before you show him your presentation.
• Make sure that your presentation is tailor-made for his customer. At least, remove slides that might work against you.
• Do the selling yourself. Presentations are there to confirm, explain or add information, they will not sell for you. Don’t make yourself obsolete.
• Trim your presentation as much as possible. I have seen presentations with dozens of slides. I can guarantee you that no customer is interested anymore after about  dozen slides tops.

There is a lot to say about the quality of the material and – maybe even more importantly – the quality of the presenter. I will make another post about that subject shortly.

Conclusion

Sales people, marketing people and others spend a lot of time developing PowerPoint presentations. It is a shame that so many efforts are in vain or even counter productive. If you decide to create a presentation or review an existing one, answer for yourself at least these three questions:

1. Does a Presentation indeed add value to the sales process?
2. Is the presented information of value for the customer?
3. Is there information in the Presentation that can jeopardize my relationship with the customer?

Have a good look at your presentation. Put yourself in the shoes of a customer and see if you really couldn’t do without.

Never forget: People do business with people!

Happy presenting!

Check with just about any professional speaker or pick up a book at the book store on public speaking and you’ll get some great advice. They’ll tell you exactly what you SHOULD be doing. That’s all good, but what’s been missing has been anyone talking about the other side of that coin – what should you NOT be doing?

Don’t Apologize To Your Audience

Things happen. In fact a lot of things happen that we really have no control over. As a presenter, you’ve got to learn to just go with the flow.

During your presentation you may realize that something is wrong with one of the slides that you are using. You may realize that something is missing from your slides. None of this really matters to your audience.

When you start to apologize to your audience, they are going to start to see you in a different light. Since you have already screwed something up, they are going to start to wonder what else you are getting incorrect.

It’s a natural human reaction to want to apologize for things that happen that you didn’t plan on. Stifle this tendency. Say nothing and move on – your audience will never know and you’ll remain the expert presenter in their eyes.

Don’t Tell The Audience Why They Should Care

All too often I see speakers take the stage and then launch into their presentation without doing the correct first step. This first step is taking a moment to have a talk with your audience about why they are there and why you are there.

If you can’t answer this question right off the bat, then the purpose for your entire presentation will be lost. It’s your responsibility to tell your audience why they should care about what you are going to be talking about.

You are in a unique position: you know what you are going to be talking about. Your job before you start your presentation is to take the time to tell your audience why what you are going to be saying is important to them.

Don’t Customize Your Presentation To Your Audience

One of the greatest sins that a presenter can make is to use a generic presentation with an audience. Every audience is different and deserves to have a custom presentation.

When we create a speech, we always have to picture some type of audience in our minds. Hopefully when we give the speech, we’ll be giving it to that type of audience. If we go on and give the speech to another audience, then the speech needs to be changed and shaped to meet the needs of that audience.

If you don’t do this, then the speech will never make an impact. Your ability to connect with an audience relies on talking to them in their language so that you can make a real connection.

Don’t Overload Your Audience

You are too smart and that’s a problem. If you are not careful, you’ll write your speech from your point-of-view and not your audience’s. This could result in a data overload situation.

You need to remember that the reason that your audience has come to listen to what you have to say is that they believe that they can learn something. No matter what the format of your speech is, they believe that you’re going to tell them something that is going to allow them to see the world in a different way when you are done.

If you share everything that you know about your topic with them, then they are quickly going to become overloaded – it’s just too much to take in. Once this happens, you will have lost them. They’ll leave your speech feeling confused, upset, and angry.

You need to match your speech’s content to the amount of time that you’ll be talking for. Your goal should be to share new information with your audience, but only enough so that they walk away with a few new ideas. Don’t try to share everything with them in a single speech.

What All Of This Means For You

Great speakers know what they have to do in order to win the hearts and minds of their audiences. They also know what they should not do.

These speakers avoid simple mistakes such as apologizing to their audiences, forgetting to tell the audience why they should care about what the speaker is going to talk about, forgetting to customize their presentation, and overloading their audience with too much information.

These mistakes are easy to avoid – but first you have to know that they are out there. Once you do, you’ll be well on your way to delivering fantastic presentations…

Having the ability to negotiate is a very valuable skill. Whether you’re negotiating for lower prices at the local supermarket or closing a business deal at favorable terms, possessing the ability to negotiate can bring you success in so many areas.

Here are some proven ways on how to negotiate against anyone.

1. What is Your Worst Case Scenario?

Before entering a negotiation, determine the worst offer or resolution that you would accept. This could be in terms of the lowest salary you would accept or the highest price you are willing to pay for a certain product. In other words, determine your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) before even going into a negotiation because let’s face it, a successful negotiation is a win-win negotiation where both parties compromise.

Thus, even if you do not achieve your initial aims, you would still be happy with the outcome. Determining your BATNA helps to strengthen your resolve when bargaining and this adds to your bargaining power.

2. Do Your Research

He who has the most knowledge wins. This is especially true in during negotiations. If you have done your research, you may even know the cost price of an item that you are planning to buy and hence, the seller’s bargaining position.

This way, you would be able to suggest an offer that is favorable to you and yet still reasonable. If you have some dirt on a competing firm, state it during negotiations and if possible, back it up with irrefutable statistics and facts. This will go a long way to securing that important business deal for your firm.

3. Look For Any Slips But Never Show Your Hand

As far as possible, never reveal your bargaining position. Once you’ve revealed that, the chances of a favorable outcome from the negotiation decreases dramatically. On the other hand, look for slips by the other person when they are talking and use it to your advantage.

For example, if a seller accidentally reveals that a product has been on the shelf for almost six months, you are in a much better position to bargain for a better price since it is unlikely that this product will be sold if you do not buy it.

4. Make An Aggressive First Offer

Be extra careful when you are the person making the first offer because this first offer will act as an anchor that will guide the entire negotiation from start to end. Further offers or compromises that result will depend heavily on this first offer. If you have done your research and can estimate your opponent’s bargaining position, start with an offer that is just beyond his or her bargaining position. For example, if a buyer knows that the best price a seller could get for a certain product is $900, the buyer should offer to buy the product for $700. (could be lower but not too exaggerated)

Take note though, if you were to make a mistake in this first offer, your entire negotiating position could be compromised and you could end up on the wrong side of the deal.

5. Practice

With these quick tips on how to negotiate against anyone, the key to incorporating these tips into your next negotiation is to practice. Practice these skills the next time you’re bargaining for a lower price at your local grocer or arguing with your spouse about who gets to do the housework. This practice will come in handy when you are negotiating for more serious issues like a salary raise or a big business deal.